Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-09-22

safely to land. She, it proved, was a young
teacher who, intent upon holiday, had
come unattended on board the yacht. She
was not handsome, as heroines are general
~ painted in novels, but she was wonder
fully attractive. Atleast so Phillip Caledon
found her, for he devoted himself to her
from that day, and in less than three
months they were married. She was an
orphan, and he took her at once to live in
his grand country seat, where he had every
thing lifted up in the richest style, and they
were as happy as two birds, they said, being
entirely devoted to each other.
But how Jared it with Lenora Eldridge,
who had firmly set her heart on being mis-
tress of Caledon, and whom rumor verv
kindly pointed out as the Tilted fair one of
Phillip Caledon. That she was angry, NOR
tilted and wounded we have no doubt, but
she did not choose to please her many ad-
miring friends by wearing the willow even
for Phillip Caledon. Accordingly the we'd
ding bells had hardly ceased ringing for
Phillip Caledon and Dorcas Welby when
they rang again for Edgar Barrett and Lee
nora EldridgeL
Then all seemed settled for awhile for
everybody except for Agnes Armund,
the poor widows daughter, who lived in a
| little cottage on the Caledon estate, and who
had loved and worshiped Phillip Caledon as
neither Lenora Eldridge nor Dorcas Welby
ever did. 1t was the love of life time, tho
| love that is the curse of some, that she
| poured, all unasked, at his feet. And hc--
why careless not kindly smile, q helping
hand, was all he ever dreamed of bestowing
on the coarse, lonely hireling who would
have given her life for him so gladly.
"But with Agnes Armund, as said before,
all seemed strangely unsettled, and people
/ were wont to shake their heads when they
| passed her, for twas said she was a little
queer. Howbeit, year passed away, and
there was born to Mr.. Barrett beautiful
twin boy and girl. They were the joy of
their fathers heart, he said, and if rumor
spoke true, he had need OF something to
comfort him beside the cold, unfeeling
woman who had married him simply for a
subterfuge from gossip, and who made his
life burden by her sharp complaining
about their poverty; for he was only
struggling young barrister, and could not
| AFFORD many luxurieS to his beautiful, but
| unhappy, young wife. But, suddenly, Just
as prospects were beginning to brighten for
them, Mr.. Barrett died, LEAKING his young
| wife in poor circumstances, with her two
children only a year old. simultaneously
with his death was the death of Dorcas
Caledon, Philip Caledon's young, much-loved
wife. She left a tiny babe only day old;
little girl-Dorcas, they called her. after her
mother. Mr.. Caledon was nearly crazed
| with grief at the loss of his wife; but grad
ually he began to look upon the babe with
some interest and to find comfort in watch
ing its pretty attempt at playfulness, for it
was strong, healthy child, and grew fast.
"But what was the horror and anguish Of
| the father and the grief and CONSERVATION
| of the servants, when one day the little
| crib was found empty, and no trace of the
| babe could be obtained. The nurse had left
1t quietly sleeping in its little bed, and when
| she returned it was gone. In vain they
| searched; in vain offered immense rewards
| for even the faintest clue; none could be
| gained. 1t remained a mystery, as if the
| ground had suddenly opened and swallowed
her up, so suddenly did the baby heiress Of
| Caledon disappear from her home and the
| loving hearts that cherished her. Mr..
Caledon was never the same man again;
he grew silent and sometimes harsh. Even
the presence of his father and mother
failed to cheer and comfort him, as Of yore,
though they strove to the utmost to change
his grief for his wife and child and set his
mind in differ ent channels.
"It was thus that Lena Barrett found him
on her return from her parents, with whom
she had been living, and she at once set
about devising means for winning the
master OF Caledon for a second husband.
In this she succeeded, for Mr.. Caledon,
urged by his parents, who feared their
sons reason would become impaired by his
grief, finally married the beautiful Widow
Barrett, and installed her as tho future
mistress of Caledon.
''How, indeed, was Lenora Caledon tri-
umphant; the position she coveted was hers;
she was supremely happy for season. But
there is a crease in every roseleaf, tits said,
and Mrs. Caledon found hers to be no ex-
ception to the general rule, for she had
been married but short time when who
should appear but Agnes Armund, who
simply asked to see Mrs. Caledon, and in
the interview that followed gave evidence
of very correct knowledge of the where
abouts of Dorcas Caledon, for whom the sor-
rowful father was then mourning his life
away, praying ever for only one glimpse Of
baby Dorcas before he died.
at would have been naturally supposed
that Mrs. Caledon would have caught eager
ly at this clue of restoring to her husband
what would have been such o stimulant to
his failing state, the restoration of his be-
loved child But far from it, indeed, were
her intentions, she had no idea of being sec
ond to little Dorcas in the affections and
generosity of the master OF Caledon; be-
sides he own children were just gaining
favor with their stepfather, and there was
no doubt if he died without leaving an heir,
they would inherit the Caledon property
To the fulfillmcnt of this wish Mrs. Caledon
bent all the energies of her strong, passion
ate nature
'By slzillful brides she secured the promise
of half-crazed Agnes Armund to keep the
knowledge she possessed secret. She
also worked upon the fears of tho poor
creature, declaring if she were to reveal
the whereabouts of the babe or even re-
store it to its father, she would certainly be
imprisoned for abduction, and no doubt
| long term of penal servitude wous DO
her reward. She took care, also, to enlarge
| upon the debt of revenge that Agnes owed
Philip Caledon for the sighting of the
great love she bore him.
'An these combined sufficed to bewilder
| and confuse the already tortured mind, and
so with evil tenacity she Rugged the pre-
cious secret to her bosom, and lived on, ever
| unhappy and wretched, yet bitter and I'M
relenting
'But in a few years, worn by grief and
vain searching for his lost child, Mr. Gale
don sank into his grave, and Caledon
Heights was without master, and the old
name extinct, except for old Mr.. Caledon,
whose heart was broken at his sons death,
and for whom he had never ceased to mourn.
"Mrs. Caledon, though she mourned her
husband, it seems was not inconsolable, as
| she married again shortly after his death.
Irma and Irving Barrett, on opening the will
of Phillip Caledon, were found to be his
sole heirs with one clause only in the will
that was should the lost heir of his estate,
his beloved daughter, Dorcas Caledon,
ever be discovered, then the estate should
be hers with the exception Of legacy to
| both Irma and her brother.
at was after the death Of Phillip Caledon
that glimpse Of the great wrong she had
committed to this man began to dawn upon
| the mind of Agnes Armund. But even then
1aef Co. 81